Lockdown Hanoi

by Grant J. Riley

A Westerner's perspective of Vietnam's campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic from inside Hanoi. Through the format of a diary, at times dark, sometimes with wit and insanity, Lockdown Hanoi portrays the reality of two years inside a country where the international borders were closed. The Ebook Includes the author's photographs, local press and commentary on how a developing country dramatically fought a pandemic.

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2022

About the author

Well-travelled, well-read, and well-tested. I have five distinctively different books published with Lulu.com. The 6th is a work in progress. 1) A Journal from the End of Times - A travelogue accompanied by discussion, research, and reflection. 2) Marginal - A series of auto-fictitious short stories based around pre-millennial tension, set in the UK, Ireland, and Holland. 3) Handroid - A near-future speculative fiction set in Hanoi, Vietnam, which spins the android clichés. My 6th book will be a sequel to this tale. 4) Lockdown Hanoi - A diary kept during the pandemic inside a country which stopped all flights and ways in and out for two years. 5) Calling Crows - A further collection of tales from the front line of rioters, travellers, and protesters: UK 80s/90s. 6) Thanh Thanh in Vietnam - Last of the Humans - a working title and yet to be finished project. Beyond fiction, I have written academic and reportorial pieces in various journals and publications, including The Ecologist, The Holistic Science Journal, VNExpress International, Chào Hanoi, and the Vietnam Economic Times. Grant J. Riley - sometimes The Glorious Rant, sometimes simply G.Rant. Follow the links and I hope you'll get the picture.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The diary format feels raw and honest and offers a glimpse into an extraordinary time. The subject matter is both unique and compelling. While the writing could benefit from some additional editing and polishing, it's still perfectly readable and engaging. I was in Vietnam (Nha Trang) during the first year of the pandemic, and identified with many of the author's experiences.